End of Days: The Searing
by LanserT2
Summary: When the world changes, how do a brother and sister experience it? Short three part story.
1. Bluebirds

Three short chapters detailing the searing in the eyes of two of my character from the game, as well as one from after the event. Inspired by the song First Light by Jeremy Soule for the Guild Wars Soundtrack. As always, all properties belong to their respective owners.

Johnathan Ruclib, my main Prophecies character and Reyna Ruclib, my Perma-Presearing Character, in the most amazing world I have seen crafted from imagination.

Song: .com/watch?v=9FBuxs6oxZ4

* * *

Excerpt from the opening cinematic:

The last day dawns on the Kingdom of Ascalon. It arrives with no fanfare; no tolling of alarms. Those who will remember will speak fondly of the warm morning breeze. People carry on with their daily lives, unaware that in a short while...

Everything they have ever known will come to an end.

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POV Johnathan Ruclib, Ranger of the Ascalon Army

I sat on a small hill, under a tree with brilliant orange and red colors. It overlooked the lands to the north; a land covered with flowers in every color of the rainbow. The fall trees gently sway in the wind as a soft breeze blows through the lands, causing the grass and flowers to ripple across the hills of The Northlands. Rays of light seep through the trees to form columns of light.

My sister and I have always had a secret path to this spot. It provides us with a place where we can forget the worries and problems that plague life. We have been coming here since we were children. We came here when our parents died. First the Guild Wars ravaged the human kingdoms, and now new problems arise every day. I'm afraid this may be the last time I will see the beautiful lands of the north.

The lands of Ascalon are the most beautiful and idyllic in all of Tyria, but despite the peaceful appearance, Ascalon now deals with a very real threat from the far north.

The Charr.

Looking out over the lands, it is hard to imagine such savage creatures could exist in such a place like this.

"John, is something wrong? You never looked this worried when you're under the Fall Trees like this."

It was Reyna, my older sister, and the only family I had left. She was a elementalist, but did not often see battle. She wore the robes of a higher ranking elementalist, and had straight, purple hair that hung around her face, and had two buns tied behind her head.

"We've spotted a Charr south of the Wall." I said.

A Charr scout had made it past the Greater Northern Wall which protected a great deal of Ascalon from invasions from the north, and was part of the reason why the Charr could not advance further.

"Prince Rurik will be taking a small group of the more promising recruits with him to deal with the scout. I'll be going with them."

A Bluebird landed on my longbow, which lay on the ground to the side. It's colors were vivid as it sat in the column of light which made it's way through the leaves above. It chirped a calming tune.

Reyna spoke again. "It's not dangerous, is it? Mother would come back as a ghost if you were to get hurt. I promised her you would stay safe."

I chuckled at the promises we had made to our parents. They had died fighting in the Guild Wars against Orr and Kryta. The last promise to them we made was that we would keep each other safe.

"The Charr are planning something. They wouldn't be bold enough to make any pushes into our territory without a plan. They wouldn't send a scout unless that plan was going to happen."

I looked back out over the colorful landscape. I hoped I was wrong in my prediction.

"I fight for Ascalon. I fight for the beauty nature; for it's people. Just because we are behind a wall doesn't mean we are safe. I'm worried about the Charr, Reyna. I'm worried about what they might do. I don't want this to ever be destroyed."

I stood up. It was then that Reyna jumped at me with a hug.

"Just be careful... be careful and the Charr will never hurt you. And they will never hurt Ascalon."

Reyna took a few steps back, and smiled, before turning back towards out secret path and leaving.

I gazed out at the landscape one more time before picking up my bow. The Bluebird took flight and flew far into the distance. It kept flying over the colorful trees and green grass until it could no longer be seen.

oOo

Prince Rurik pulled his flaming sword from the corpse of the Charr scout. I placed my last arrow back within it's quiver and looked out of the cave and into the distance. Something felt wrong. What the scout said just before death did not help matters.

"_Your end has already come."_

I looked towards the sky as it began to darken and turn a sinister shade of red. The ground began to rumble beneath me. The entire sky seemed to be filled with ominous red clouds, something that was not natural.

Then, the sky opened up, and from it came the end of days. The Searing.

Time seemed to slow down to a near stand-still. I let go of my longbow, and it slowly dropped to the dirt before landing with a deep thunk. The falling sky would touch the lands of Ascalon, and from it's contact, fires broke out. The land was being burned. The beauty was being destroyed. Then John's mind skipped to one single thing among the chaos.

Was Reyna okay?


	2. Tearing of the Sky

POV Reyna Ruclib, High Elementalist of Ascalon

It was a warm and beautiful day. I just stood in a field of flowers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes, as a warm breeze gently flowed over my face and the flowers like a clear mountain river. Though I live here in Ascalon, it's beauty never ceased to amaze me. The trees were in shades of orange and red this time of year, and paired perfectly with the sunset over the hills.

I could stand in the fields all day, but of course I couldn't. My brother said to meet him under the Fall Trees, a secret hiding spot right beyond the Great Northern Wall which we found as children. It is so serene and peaceful under the trees any time of the year. I walked along our secret path, decorated with flowers and carvings we collected when we were young. The path emerged on a hill overlooking the great landscapes of the north, as well as the numerous lakes which dotted the area. The soothing sound of a waterfall could be heard in the distance.

Sitting under the Fall Trees was John, my younger brother. He was taller than me, and was a ranger as well. He always felt at home in the tall grasses with the animals of the wilds, so it was no surprise when he choose to work closely with nature. He also had long brown, but smooth hair, with a headband around his head and a red feather attached to it. Even under the peaceful trees like this, I could tell he was worried.

"John, is something wrong? You never looked this worried when you're under the Fall Trees like this." I said, to get his attention.

"We've spotted a Charr south of the Wall."

Charr south of the wall? How could a Charr had made it past the defenses of the wall?

"Prince Rurik will be taking a small group of the more promising recruits with him to deal with the scout. I'll be going with them."

Humans have been at war with the Charr for ages now. The Charr have never been able to make a push like they have done recently at the end of the Guild Wars, thanks to their weakening forces and the Great Northern Wall.

And the scout. Only a high ranking Charr would have the skill.

I was worried. "It's not dangerous, is it? Mother would come back as a ghost if you were to get hurt. I promised her you would stay safe."

He chuckled. We both made promises to protect the other one. We did want to keep each other safe from the dangers of the Guild Wars, and now the Charr.

"The Charr are planning something. They wouldn't be bold enough to make any pushes into our territory without a plan. They wouldn't send a scout unless that plan was going to happen."

John looked out to the north, towards the lands filled with color and life.

"I fight for Ascalon. I fight for the beauty nature; for it's people. Just because we are behind a wall doesn't mean we are safe. I'm worried about the Charr, Reyna. I'm worried about what they might do. I don't want this to ever be destroyed."

John was going to take on Charr, and I am left in Ascalon to help the people. I throw my arms around my only family. "Just be careful... be careful and the Charr will never hurt you. And they will never hurt Ascalon."

I took a few steps back and smiled at my brother. I then walked away from the tree and headed back down our secret path.

The Charr have never been a threat as they are now. The warm breeze was still blowing through my hair, but now it seemed ominous. With the Charr on our doorsteps, maybe there really is a reason to worry about John.

oOo

I sat inside a tent at Foible's Fair. There were children gathered here, as some mages were putting on shows to entertain the children and get their own minds off the threat to the north. For me it was different. I couldn't stop thinking about what John had said. I stood up to walk outside. That's when I noticed all the children were staring at the sky.

I looked up as well, only to see an eerie red cover the entire sky. Only one thing can change the sky into what it appeared as: Powerful Magic. I grabbed my staff and held it close because the situation didn't feel right.

Flaming crystals began to fall from the sky, and began landing all throughout Ascalon. It began to burn the grass, and the trees, and was wiping out life as it spread. The children began to scatter, screaming, and running in every direction. Then, I noticed a crystal falling from the sky which was going to impact the Fair. I looked at the children, and the people, and at Ascalon itself. Then I turned back at the sky.

I began to channel all my energy together and focus on the flame crystal.

_Run, children, run!_

Then, the crystal came down on top of the Fair, but did not impact. The others ran from the Fair, escaped from the raining death.

I stood there, eyes closed, my strength drained.

I had stopped Grenth himself.

And then I felt nothing.


	3. Two Years

Two Years Later

How did it all go so wrong?

How did all of this happen?

Ascalon had fallen to the Charr, and they continued to march towards the other human kingdoms. The kingdom of Orr no longer existed because of it. Kryta only barely beat back the attackers.

A man stood above the crowds, reading a list.

It was a list of people. A list of missing and dead.

A list Reyna was on.

Reyna has gone missing during the Searing. After two years, she was presumed dead, but her body was never found.

The man continued to read off the list.

Reyna must have escaped the Searing. She couldn't have died. She would have known what to do, how to take care of herself.

She could survive.

The list began reading names that began with an R.

Nothing remained of Ascalon. Nothing beyond it's people. The once beautiful lands were now burnt and barren. Nothing remained but dirt. I could only hope that Reyna survived the Searing.

"Ruclib, Reyna. Status: Missing, presumed dead. No body found."

The same as it has been for two years. Its hard to imagine that only two years ago, I was sitting under the colorful trees that were once bountiful in Ascalon, enjoying the warm breeze as it passed through. Two years since I've talked to Reyna. I should have said more to her, or have said goodbye. But I only talked about my worries, caught up in... fear?

"Ruclib!"

A soldier was shouting towards me.

"Ruclib! We have seen an increase of activity north of the wall. Prince Rurik wants you to put together a scouting party."

"I'll be at our command post shortly, thank you."

I looked back over the landscape. Once calm and peaceful, it was now torn by war and magic. Perhaps Ascalon really was lost.

I gathered my gear and walked towards the Great Northern Wall, on towards pointless fights with an unbeatable enemy. I would serve for just a bit longer, and then I will leave. There is nothing left for me here, in Ascalon.

All of that has been burned away by the Charr.

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A/N: Ascalon made me sad. So much reduced to ash. I really like the Guild Wars universe, and with Guild Wars 2 around the corner, I felt like bringing out some stories for some of my characters, as not everyone who saves the world will start the same.

Hope you enjoyed these shorts, done within one night with a quick read over. I hope I didn't screw up too badly. ;)


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